Soap Lake schools get major repairs
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 months, 3 weeks AGO
Soap Lake Elementary got a new roof, but that’s not all the district is upgrading this summer. There are repairs and upgrades being made to electrical systems, heating and cooling and parking lots.
COURTESY PHOTO/SOAP LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT
SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake School District is in the process of making around $6.6 million worth of repairs.
“The work is fantastic,” Superintendent Angela Rolfe said. “We're really excited to be able to upgrade and modernize some things that needed to be done.”
The upgrades to the schools include updating from oil to electric heating and cooling and a major electrical system upgrade that Grant Public Utility District will install in August.
“The electrical system upgrade is actually going to be a transformer replacement,” Rolfe said. “That is what Grant PUD is coming out to do, because we're moving from oil to electric, we have to meet the increased electrical demand.”
Soap Lake Elementary School has a new roof.
“Our roof was just at the end of life,” Rolfe said. “There were definitely issues with it. So doing it now prevents us from having leaks and different things that would be bad for the building in the long term.”
There was also a new chiller unit installed at both the middle and high schools for air conditioning, as well as new boiler systems for heating in both schools.
“The heating and cooling are also really at the end of life as well, and (were) unreliable,” she said. “This will help us make sure that classrooms are comfortable for staff and for students.”
Replacing concrete was part of the project as well.
“The concrete replacement that was at the back door of the high school was a follow-up to an installation last summer of an ADA accessible door with a push button entry,” Rolfe said.
The high school also has a freshly repainted main parking lot and a new sprinkler system.
“All of the projects except the sprinkler system were all funded by competitive (Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction) grants,” Rolfe said.
The repairs are funded by three OSPI grants, including a small district modernization grant totaling $6 million, an urgent repair grant totaling $478,000 and an Americans with Disabilities Act grant totaling $100,000.
“We are really excited here in the district,” Rolfe said.
ARTICLES BY NANCE BESTON
Soap Lake council tables tourism committee plan, debates planning services
SOAP LAKE — Soap Lake City Council approved several administrative resolutions Wednesday but postponed decisions on tourism funding and planning services after an hours‑long discussion over staffing, contracts and oversight.
Soap Lake council unanimously votes no-confidence in Mayor Sharp
SOAP LAKE – The Soap Lake City Council unanimously passed a vote of no-confidence against Mayor Peter Sharp Wednesday evening, taking effect immediately after passage. Councilmember Kayleen Bryson read the resolution as the only comment on the matter. Sharp did not comment during the meeting.
Measles reported in Grant County
EPHRATA — Grant County health officials are urging families to check their vaccination records after two unvaccinated children in the same household tested positive for measles, marking the county’s first confirmed infections of 2026. Grant County Health District said it was notified on March 17 that both children, who were recently exposed during international travel, had contracted the virus. One child was briefly hospitalized; both are now recovering at home. Health Officer Dr. Alexander Brzezny said the cases underscore how quickly measles can spread — and how effectively it can be prevented.